Welcome to the whimsical work of WantedPowers

WantedPowers (aka Michele McCammon) is a freelance designer based in the States with some seriously creative super powers. She loves discovering the whimsy in the world, accentuating it in her own designs—often in the form of cute dogs and colorful cupcakes. As she puts it, “If I’m smiling at a design, I know my client is too!”

WantedPowers joined 99designs after a recommendation from one of her grad school colleagues, and uses the site to hone her skills and let creativity fly. Check out some of her light-hearted logo designs below.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I’m currently a freelance graphic designer living in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I love to focus on the whimsy of the world.

Before that, I worked at an Italian restaurant where I was developing their brand identity and overall social media presence. And while I really enjoyed the work that I did there, including designing my first published book, I’d love the chance to dive deeper into the overall design world and continue to professionally grow.

How did you get started in graphic design? What’s your design career been like so far?

Originally I had committed myself as an Advertising Copywriter major my Sophomore year of college and I spent all my time preparing myself to become a top-notch writer at an award-winning agency.

But it wasn’t until I was pursuing my master’s degree in Advertising that I fell in love with the idea of showing a concept with just a single image. I was assigned a mentor and encouraged to explore the possibility of combining my love of writing with graphic design. Because of this I was able to adjust my career path and work as a hybrid in the field.

My design career has been a journey through social media management, marketing and graphic design. By throwing in a little bit of this and a little bit of that into my career mix, including cupcake designs, I have found my passion with logo design. The idea that I am able to create the jumping-off point for a brand is thrilling and I enjoy coming up with a unique solution for every project.

Logo and branding can be pretty competitive. How do you make sure you stand out?

Over the years, I’ve learned to focus on what I love to design and I know by doing so, my clients can see and feel my passion through these designs; making me stand out among the competition.

While I am capable of designing for a variety industries, I focus on the ones that interest me the most, which in turn creates both a satisfied client and a happy personal life in one fell swoop.

You seem to have a soft spot for dogs. What draws you to those projects?

Since I was a kid, I have had a soft spot for dogs (and all animals) and love seeing the joy that a single “bark” or “lopsided tongue” can bring to a person’s life.

It inspires me to bring the same feeling to my designs and I enjoy watching it spread throughout my client’s customers when they see the finished project. If I’m smiling at a design, I know they are too!

Are there any other industries you love designing for?

I will always have a soft spot for the pet industry and anything with a bit of whimsical flare. To this day, I still put out cookies for Santa every year, and I want my designs to capture the magic and beauty of the world.

Where did the name WantedPowers come from?

As my tagline says, “Admit it, you wanted them too!” Who didn’t dream of one day learning they had super powers? Though I never developed the ability to fly or have X-ray vision, I’ve realized that some super powers can manifest in different ways.

My super powers ended up being on the more creative side and the ability to deliver powerful ideas by helping brands be the hero.

How did you discover 99designs?

It was actually through a referral of one of my graduate colleagues who recommend 99designs to hone my skills and let my creativity fly.

Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on/client you’ve worked with at 99designs? Tell us about it!

It’s hard to just pick one because all of my clients are so different! But one project that does come to mind is the Chicken in a Basket logo project.

The company was starting a new friend chicken restaurant in the Midwest and wanted an out of the box, creative design. By focusing on the brand’s main product, I created a typographical solution that featured a chicken and a basket incorporated into the name of the business.

It was a lot of fun working on this project and I have enjoyed drooling over their growing success on social media.

What inspires you? Where do you go to find inspiration?

What do you do when you’re not designing?

Reading; if you couldn’t guess, is my second passion and I always have to have a book at hand. It’s why I love the geniuses that design big but stylish purses. A purse must be able to hold a book, a sketchbook and my computer or it’s a no-go when I’m on the go.

The author

Kelsey leads 99designs' Designer Marketing team. Born and raised in a small town in Connecticut, she moved to San Francisco in 2009 with a degree in Communications from Elon University. When she’s not working with the designer community, you can find her exploring the city, taking weekend road trips, and soaking up that California sunshine.